The Bioscope (Oct-Dec 1931)

November 11, 1931 THE BIOSCOPE 17 BOX OFFICE FILM REVIEWS *“ Splinters in the Navy” Offered by : W. and F. Produced by : Twickenham Film Studio Productions. Directed by : Walter Forde. Length : 6,920 feet. Release Date : February 15, 1932. Certificate : V . Recording : R.C.A. on Film. THE CAST Joe Crabbs .. Bill Miwens Lottie Mabel Spike Higgins Admiral Sydney Howard Frederic Bently Helena Pickard Paddy Browne Alf Goddard Rupert Lister and The Splinters Company Lew Lake Reg. Stone Hal Jones Wilfred Temple Suitability : A comedy extravaganza which will make an immense appeal in houses catering for “ popular ” audiences. It was perhaps inevitable that the unqualified success of the Army “ Splinters ” should be followed by one set among the Senior Service. Here it is, and it is equally effective, quite as amusing, and even more convincingly staged. That it is a conglomeration of nonsense goes without saying, but it has the redeeming features that the gags are up to date — it has originality. From the time that the slow-witted Joe Crabbs, A.B. (Sydney Howard), is forcibly ejected from his hammock to the final moment when he wins the Admiral’s cup in a fantastically amusing boxing bout, the fun seldom lets up. Walter Forde, who directed, has gone all out for laughs, and he certainly gets them. In the direction of comedy material he has proved himself adept, and here, in his selection of types and his handling of the exuberant tars massed on the quarter-deck for the occasion of the concert, he catches just that “sailors don’t care ” atmosphere. The story is of the slightest, but with the inimitable Sydney Howard (as unlike a sailor as one can imagine) doing his stuff in his brightest vein, and a rollicking concert party from the famous “ Splinters ” company of female impersonators, the production goes with a swing. Joe and his pal Bill (Frederic Bently) are tardy risers, but they muster up sufficient energy to promote a concert party aboard their vessel to coincide with the admiral’s announcement of his engagement. We are, unfortunately, not permitted to see the immediate effect on the commander on reading Joe’s crudely worded suggestion for a “ free and easy ” and the appearance of his friend Lew Lake’s party. On shore leave Joe and Bill proceed to the local theatre to look up Lake, become hopelessly lost in the various corridors (an instance of Forde’s appreciation of a comic situation), clinch their deal with him and conclude the evening in the company of their lady friends. But Joe loses his girl to the Navy’s heavyweight champion, and all the inducements from the fair sex fail to provoke him to retaliation. He, however, goes into training, and his subsequent fight is one of the funniest and most original that the screen has yet given us. By employing a couple of accomplices, one to extinguish the lights when he is in trouble, and another, disguised to resemble him, to take his place occasionally in the ring, he wins the trophy. The recording is specially good, and Julius Hagen and his Twickenham unit are to be congratulated on the quality of the staging. The mounting for the quarter-deck scenes bear the hall-mark of reality. Major acting honours naturally go to Sydnev Howard for his persistent drolleries, but excellent support comes from Frederic Bently as Bill and Alf Goddard in the role of the victimised heavyweight. ANALYSIS Story and Dialogue .... 15% Direction 17»/o Acting 17% Recording and Photography 18% General Appeal 18% out of 20% „ 20% „ 20% „ 20% „ 20% 85% „ 100% H. M. ★ Denotes Registered British Film. f , f * ffjjjgj 9 % -M r | v If sJf 1 The “Splinters ” “ girls ” in the new W. & F. Twickenham picture “ Splinters in the Navy,” reviewed in this issue * “ Men Like These Offered by: W ardour. Produced by: B.l.P. Directed by : Walter Summers. Photographed by Jack Parker and Horace Wheddon. Length 4,200 feet. Release Date : Not fixed. Certificate XJ . Recording : Western Electric on Film. THE CAST John Batten Sidney Seaward James Enstone Valentine White Edward Gee James Watt John Hunt Chang Fat Charles Peachy Suitability : Will make an impression in most halls, in spite of weak dialogue. The sensational and unprecedented escape of several sailors from the ill-fated submarine Poseidon in Chinese waters recently created worldwide interest and a profound patriotic fervour at home in the heroisn displayed. Whether this film of a similar disaster is in the best of taste is a moot point, though there is no denying what its reactions are likely to be on the British cinema public. Dedicated to the submarine branch of the Navy, B.l.P. produced it with acknowledgments to the Admiralty. They were also fortunate in being able to call upon the services of several prominent Naval advisers. Much of the early footage is occupied with shots of submarines leaving port and proceeding, unescorted, to foreign stations. A commentator here indicates the tone in which the producers have approached their subject by declaring that Many exhibitors have expressed their desire to have “ Bioscope ” Film Reviews presented in a complete section so that they may extract this for filing in Reference Books. We therefore revert to our former practice of introducing no other printed matter in our Review pages. such risks as taken by the, crews “ must be endured to ensure safety in time of war.” A cleverly constructed interior conveys the weird sensation of being among the crew, seen in their manipulation of the various gadgets for the propulsion of the vessel under the sea. Then follows a crash with a merchant vessel. The water rushes into the compartment, the submarine rights itself sufficiently to allow several of the men to make their escape from the conning tower, and then plunges to the bottom with some men still aboard ; this is all vividly realistic. Such stark horror as this situation presents has been handled with praiseworthy effect by Walter Summers, except that his conception of the Ordinary Seaman is awry ; must British A.B.s talk and behave like illiterate Cockneys ? The coward is there, whining at the enforced delay before attempts can be made to escape, the cheerful sprite who persists in telling yarns and singing the inevitable “ Tipperary,” arid the matter-of-fact, practical and very human Petty Officer. The high-light of the film is the brilliant photography of the actual escapes with the aid of Davis life-savers and the powerful suspense attending the men’s last desperate efforts. Increasing the flow of water to counteract outside pressure, two manage to get through and reach the surface. During what seems an eternity, the remainder emerge, rise and are rescued by willing hands. The acting for the most part is good. John Batten, in the part of the nerve-racked member of the crew, registers his fears with telling effect. The part of the Petty Officer is well played by Sidney Seaward. ANALYSIS Story and Dialogue .... 12% Direction 14% Acting .... 15% Recording and Photography 15% General Appeal .... .... 16% out of 20% ,, 20% ,, 20% ,, 20% „ 20% 72% „ 100% H. M. “ Secrets of a Secretary ” Offered by : Paramount. Produced by : Paramount. Directed by : George Abbott from an original story by Charles Brackett. Photographed by : George Folsey. Length : 6,754 feet. Release Date : May 30, 1932. Certificate: A. Recording: Western Electric on Film. THE CAST Helen Blake Claudette Colbert Lord Danforth Herbert Marshall Frank D’Agnoli Georges Metaxa Sylvia Merritt Betty Lawford Mrs. Merritt Mary Boland Mr. Merritt Berton Churchill Dan Marlow Averell Harris Suitability : A popular house picture with obvious feminine appeal. Perhaps the most notable featiue of this film is the fact that it co-stars with Claudette Colbert our own star actor, Herbert Marshall. He does not, however, get much of a break in a hackneyed type of story which affords him few real opportunities and which leaves little to the imagination. But the plot is of that kind dear to the hearts of the average feminine fan, the misfortunes of the heroine and her clandestine love affair, ending in marriage with a titled member of the aristocracy. Following a hectic evening, and in a spirit of bravado, Helen Blake (Claudette Colbert) marries Frank (George Metaxa), a good-fornothing, who promptly leaves her when, shoitly afterwards, her father dies and leaves her penniless. Helen’s benefactor (Berton Churchill) helps her by giving her a position as secretary to his wife, an amusing specimen whose thoughts seldom rise above the petty things in life and whose time is taken up chiefly in chasing her vanishing beauty. The job proves somewhat humiliating because of the snobbish attitude towards Helen of Sylvia